Finding Home
by thatblue
Summary: Sequel to My Own Me. When the Doctor is in trouble the Dimensional Telaport must be finished quickly, and David and Elizabeth must decide if they want to stay on this Earth, or go back with Rose.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Doctor Who. This follows my other story, My Own Me.**

David stood at the front of the church, his single heart seemingly trying to beat its way out of his chest. He was waiting- within as hours time he would be someone's husband. If you would have asked him way back on that beach- almost a year ago now- he would have told you it would have been Rose who was about to walk down that aisle.

But as he and his Time Lord counterpart knew all too well, time changes and touches all things. Time had made him into the man who was standing her now. And time had brought him Elizabeth. It was she that would walk down that aisle and she who had burned herself forever into his heart.

He swallowed hard, and looked out into the crowd of people. It was mostly friends from Torchwood, but the entire Tyler family occupied the front row. He met Rose's eye and she smile a warm smile at him. He tried hard to smile back, but he was too nervous.

Not about taking this step, it wasn't that. He had known that he had wanted to marry her long before he proposed, but that still didn't calm his nerves. He worried he couldn't be everything that she needed, that she deserved more than him, but she hadn't ever given him any indication that she felt that way.

She had never once made him feel like he wasn't good enough, and that was something that he would never stop being thankful for. When he had become human, when he had realized that he was only a human, with one heart, and one fragile body he had felt so much less than the other version of him.

And then he had been left here with Rose, and he thought that maybe that was all okay. But then she wanted to wait, and she wasn't sure how she felt about him. It had, of course, worked out for the very best, but he still had his insecurities.

He thought of Rose, which made him think of Elizabeth again. His Elizabeth, who had understood why he wanted to get Rose back to the TARDIS, and stood by his side to try to make it happen. They had spent evening and weekends, and just about every spare second working on that gift for Rose.

First there were the many weeks of calculations, and then they actually began to build. And it hadn't been easy, and there was a lot of stress, and he knew there were times when Elizabeth would have loved for it to just be the two of them.

Yet, she stayed, through it all. Even when the numbers didn't work, and he had all but given up hope. She had run number after number, and it had been her that had finally come up with the solution. If Rose had anyone to thank, he didn't think that it was him.

He loved Elizabeth like he didn't know he was capable of loving, and it wasn't just because she was the smartest human he thought he had ever met. Thought that didn't hurt.

He heard the music start, and then it was time. She appeared, in a white dress and looking like a picture of an angel, and he was so glad to be human. It might have been one life, but it was one life with her. And that made all the difference.

DW

The Doctor closed his eyes, and listened to the familiar comforting hum of his TARDIS. It was the only thing he had left to draw comfort from these days. Donna was at home, safe, but lost to him. He missed her terribly, especially in the moments like these. Moments when the quiet became close to unbearably.

He stood by his decision to leave Rose with his duplicate. Even if it had ripped out his beating hearts, and they had fallen to the sand on that cold, cold, beach. It was fitting that he left them with her, they had always been hers, after all.

He hoped they were happy, that they found what he knew that he couldn't offer Rose. He hoped they had a lifetime of love and laughter, and love. Even if it was killing him, he hoped.

The hum in the TARDIS changed pitch, and he dragged his eyelids up. He knew that the painful line of thinking was only going to hurt, but what else did he have apart from those memories. He had his memories, and the TARDIS, that was it.

He was in the library now, he spent much of his time her in front of the fire, because he refused to go to his bedroom. He needed sleep, badly. For all his bragging about superior biology he was pushing his limits at the moment.

But he couldn't control his dreams. Even if by some mercy he didn't dream nightmares- if somehow they were dreams of precious moments with someone he loved- then he instead woke to the nightmare.

So, despite the ever growing need, he was fighting. That was him though. Always fighting.

DW

Rose sat and watched David take his first dance with his new wife Elizabeth. She was far past the point in her life where she could be bothered to be jealous for someone she had no claim on. The only thing that she could think about looking at them now was that she hoped that he was happy.

She hoped that she hadn't hurt him by not thinking of him as the Doctor. She had tried, she really had, and if they hadn't been abducted then maybe something would be different…but she doubted it. She knew that there were probably people here who thought poorly of her- the ones who knew the truth- but she had finally been able to make her family see.

She loved David, but it just wasn't the same. It would be like asking someone to look at the image of the person that had stolen their heart every day, but to know that the man underneath wasn't him. Still, it was better this way.

Elizabeth was super nice, and she was a genius as well. She would be more than enough to challenge David in his life, and she seemed to love him completely. Even if Rose was thankful that she was helping him with their little project, she really did like Elizabeth.

The girl was funny and easy going, and despite being so smart she had managed to learn how to say things without talking down to people. She seemed to be a good influence for the part Time Lord.

Their song ended, and he gave her a long kiss. Rose might not have been jealous but it did make her think of her Doctor, and how she missed him. David had kept her up to date on his work, on what he called the Dimensional Teleport.

The technical part of it was above her head, but she trusted him, and if he said it would work she would believe him.

Elizabeth was suddenly before her, pretty cheeks flushed with pink, and holding out her hand.

"Come on, Rose," she said, laughing lightly.

Rose smiled and took her hand. She had been thinking a lot about how she was going to miss Elizabeth and David. She had often wondered if they could come too, or if it would only work for one. Also she didn't know if they would want to come, they too had made a life here.

Rose danced and laughed, with several people and in groups, At another slow song, she felt David step up behind him.

She smelled him first, and it brought a tear to her eye. He smelled like her Doctor, only different as well. It seemed as though everything about him stirred up some memory though, and that wasn't fair to anyone.

"May I have this dance?" he asked- the picture of a gentleman.

She looked up into his warm eyes, and nodded. He took her hand into his and they swayed to the music.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, gently.

She nodded, her head against his chest. Soon, she would be home. For now, this was pretty good.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Just as a warning it's kind of depressing. Hints at suicidal thoughts, but very mildly.**

The Doctor stood outside, the warm air blowing through his hair, but it couldn't take away the chill that was steadily building inside him. At fist his thought his hearts had simply shattered but he was now afraid they were frozen solid. He couldn't imagine ever letting himself let someone close to him again, and worse than that he simply wasn't sure that he cared.

Donna was eating, sitting on a park bench all alone. He was far enough away, blending in like only a person who doesn't feel like they even exist, can. He shouldn't be here. He knew that, but of all the people he cared about that had access to, she was the only one that he wanted to see.

He supposed it helped that there was no danger of being asked questions he didn't want or have answers for, or getting sympathy he didn't deserve. He could simply watch her, still alive, and she seemed to be somewhat happy.

He saw her start to gather her trash and her purse, and he sighed. Lunch was over, and he was out of time- the story of his life.

He could walk over there, he could pretend to be that stranger she had brushed off that cold rainy night. But then she might smile at him, he might feel good for a moment and when he had to return to the cold and the silence he might fall apart. Even more than he had already. He was only holding on to a fraying thread, and insane Time Lord wouldn't be good for anyone.

He trekked back to the TARIDS, ignoring the welcoming hum. He closed the door behind him, slid down, and rested his head in his palms. What was the point of having so much time, if all you could fill it with was loss?

How many had he lost over his lifetimes, every good brave person who died or would have died for a fool like him?

He could see how high the cost of believing in him was, and it was much too high. And he knew that there were still those out there who felt the same. A man who ran Torchwood, a woman in makeshift base, working for Unit.

A blonde in a parallel world, and he knew Donna to know her well enough that she would probably still he be his protector.

What did he give them back though? For all his trying, he couldn't think of a thing. He had turned time and space into a weapon and it destroyed everything that he held dear.

He knew what he should do, but he had always been a coward. The TARDIS hummed more loudly, not liking where his thoughts had gone. She would be okay without him, lonely perhaps but they had a good run.

He tried to remind her that they both had a longer life than they should have been allowed. She would go on for a while, until time claimed her as well. Without being maintained she would simply fade, and he felt like a murderer sealing her into that fate. But that wasn't a first for him.

All he did was kill, no matter how hard he tried.

He raised, decision made. A mighty Time Lord, the very last, and this was going to be his final day in the universe.

DW

David held Elizabeth in his arms, both their hearts beating rapidly, still trying to recover from the consummation of their marriage. She had her head on his chest, and he should be in a happy daze.

He wasn't though; the second he had come back to himself he had been filled with a panic. He tried to fight it, to keep it at bay, but it was rushing over him as waves on the beach. When he couldn't fight it, and when his heart refused to slow, he tried to think of what might be causing it.

He had formed a bond with Elizabeth, letting him empathize with her emotions, but this wasn't coming from her. His mind was suddenly filled with a vision, and he knew at once that the Doctor was in danger. It had finally become too much for him, and he was going to give up.

David gasped.

Elizabeth pulled back, and brushed sweat soaked hair away from his forehead. The bond worked both ways and she had to be feeling his panic, even if she couldn't understand the cause.

"David, sweetheart," she said, worry filling her eyes. "What is it?"

"The Doctor," David said at once.

"What about the Doctor, David? Please, tell me so I can try to help."

He looked into her eyes. She had spent ever spare moment of their lives together trying to do a favor that was for him. Now she was spending what should be their first night as husband and wife, worrying about a man she had never met.

She might deserve someone better than him, but he couldn't ever let her go.

"He's going to do something stupid," David said, as he pulled away from her. "We have to finish the Teleport, Elizabeth. Quickly."

She was already pulling on clothes, and he could only watch her for a moment. This wasn't what he planned for tonight. He wanted to make love to her all night, and then sleep until they were rested and do it all again. He wanted to show her that their lives wouldn't forever be lived in the shadow of the other him.

Maybe that wasn't true, because as long as there was a connection to the Time Lord he would never be free.

"David?" Elizabeth asked, watching him standing there holding his clothes but unmoving.

"I'm sorry, this isn't-"David said, tears filling his eyes.

"Hey," she said and moved to him. "We'll have the rest of our lives; this is what matters right now, okay?"

He nodded, and began to dress but he didn't feel any better. He couldn't let the Doctor die, and he couldn't break his promise to Rose. But where did that leave him, and the woman he claimed to love more than anything?

She was already heading to their garage, where they had been building.

Maybe he would never be free. What if his whole life, that was supposed to be all his, was spent trying to outshine the super nova that was the other man?

He shook away the damaging thoughts, longing to see Elizabeth. Whenever he was drowning she became his buoy, and he needed it badly now. If she could just look at him like he was worthy, he might be able to catch his breath.

He reached for the phone, it was late but he had to let Rose know that the plans were being moved up.

DW

Rose reached for her phone, always on in case, but was surprised to hear David's voice. He sounded panicked and out of breath, and the first time he had spilled she hadn't been able to understand.

"David, slow down, yeah?" she said, but was worried when his breathing didn't calm. He sounded like he was having a panic attack, and she was already climbing out of bed. "Breath, love, I'm coming over. "

The phone line went dead, and she pulled on a sweatshirt and jeans. She rushed from her room, pulling on her shoes as she moved. Where was Elizabeth? What was so wrong, to make him panic? She knew what it was like to be in that state though, and if he needed her she was going to be there.

He mother had been in the kitchen, getting a glass of water and she popped her head out.

"All right, Rose?" she asked.

"It's David, I'll call when I know something," Rose said, not stopping.

She hopped into her car, and sped off in the direction of the new house David and Elizabeth shared. It didn't take her long to get there, and she knocked on the door.

When no one answered she reached for her spare key, and entered on her own. She searched around, and finally found them in the garage.

When she opened the door she searched for David and found him underneath his teleport, Elizabeth at his feet talking gently to him.

She looked up at Rose and smiled, "Don't worry, he's okay now."

Rose let out a sigh of relief. She should have known Elizabeth could have calmed him, but she had been so worried.

"What's going on?" Rose asked, moving into the garage.

Something was, she knew. And she had a bad feeling it had something to do with the Doctor because she couldn't imagine why they would be in her working on this and not in bed. They had only been married a few hours ago after all.

"Tell her, love, please," David asked of Elizabeth. His words were a bit muffled, and Rose could see a vision of him with a sonic screwdriver in his mouth.

"Okay," Elizabeth agreed, and ceased her gentle rubbing on his calf. "I'm going to do it inside though, okay? Will you be okay?"

Rose could hear his shuffle, and when he spoke again his words were clear. "Don't go far, please, Elizabeth."

"I won't darling," said Elizabeth, "be back very soon. You just keep breathing, and remember I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart," David said, and Rose heard the familiar buzz of the sonic, and Elizabeth rose from the ground.

Rose had watched the exchange, and could still hear the how tightly David was wound. It worried her more than anything, because he had managed to keep his cool no matter what came. At least he had if Elizabeth had been around; she seemed to act as a balm to his wounds.

When they were inside, Elizabeth sat Rose down, and began to make some tea.

"What's wrong, Elizabeth?" Rose asked, she had tried to be patient, but it was at its end.

Elizabeth looked her over. They were friends, one of the ones Rose would actually trust in this world and she knew that she wouldn't lie to her now.

"It's the Doctor, Rose," Elizabeth said, coming to sit down opposite of Rose. "David won't give me details, but he's in trouble and we need to get you there as soon as we can."

Rose swallowed hard. The Doctor was in trouble? What kind of trouble? She wondered how soon the teleport would be done, and how she would tell her family. She had planned on going soon, knew that they were closing in on finishing, but she hadn't planned on tonight. She hadn't wanted her exit to be like the first time when she had just vanished.

She looked Elizabeth in the eye; she knew that where the Doctor was where she belonged. Especially if he was in trouble.

"Elizabeth," they heard David yell. "I need you."

Elizabeth was already moving, and Rose followed at her heels.


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay," David said as he pulled himself out from under the teleport. "I think that is it."

Rose was in the house saying her goodbyes to her family, she had invited them over. Elizabeth was looking at him, and he wondered what it was that she was thinking.

He moved closer to her, pulling her into his arms. There was nothing he had wanted to do more in these last moments, but they had both been much too busy. He held her close, her head against his chest and while he couldn't read her mind without trying the bond allowed him a glimpse at her emotions.

"What's wrong, my love?" David asked her.

"I don't know," Elizabeth said, and sighed. "Suppose I'm just going to miss Rose, and I'm worried about the Doctor."

He tried not to flinch at the level of concern in her voice. It wasn't as if he wasn't worried about the Time Lord. He just lived in fear that he was going to lose someone else because he would never be more than an echo.

"Don't be like that, sweetheart," Elizabeth murmured gently.

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling her even closer. "It's just hard."

"I know," she agreed. "But I love you, not him. Always, and only you."

It did his heart good to hear her say that, and he fought back tears. She was his whole world.

Rose entered the room, followed by Pete and Jackie. Jackie gave him a kind smile; she had always been so kind to him and Elizabeth, still treating them like family. Pete too had taken him under his wing, giving him a job, and helping him find his own place.

When Rose had wanted to wait he thought he was going to be all alone in this world, but he had found a family.

"Is it safe?" Jackie asked, but he could tell she wasn't asking for a promise.

She had done this sort of things too many times, and she knew by now that Rose was going either way. It had been this way since that first day, anything for the Doctor, everything for the knew as well, but he tried to give Jackie some peace.

"Yes," he agreed.

Rose was looking at him and Elizabeth, still holding each other, though he was going to have to move soon to activate it.

"Come with me," Rose said. "You should have the chance to go back too."

David looked down at Elizabeth. He missed the stars terribly, missed the thrill of seeing new places and meeting new species, but this was the only home Elizabeth had. He didn't mind too much either, all that he missed could never compare to what he had found in her. Wherever she was, that was home.

"Elizabeth?" he asked.

They had a TARDIS growing, but it was a slow process, and it would still be years before he got the chance to even stand inside.

Elizabeth did a quick spin around the garage, and he felt like maybe he was holding his breath. He didn't know if he really wanted to travel with the Doctor, but if he decided that he didn't he could use the TARDIS to speed up the growth of their own.

If she said yes.

"What about the house, and our jobs?"

That wasn't no, at least not yet. He looked over to Jackie and Pete.

"Dad, Mum?"

That was what those two had become to him, parents, the only parents this him had ever come close to having.

Jackie came close and wrapped him and Elizabeth in a hug. She said, "Of course we will take care of it, you look after the Doctor and Rose, okay?"

David nodded, and Pete came up.

"Losing three of my best people in one day," he murmured. His voice was gruff but David could hear the hurt. He thought maybe Pete had adopted him and Elizabeth into his heart as much as Jackie had. He sighed and added, "Take care of yourself, son. And your pretty girl."

He smiled, and David asked Elizabeth to set the coordinates while he ran to grab the things that they considered essential. With Torchwood you learned to be prepared, and they could leave a place in minutes, and all they had to show for their life was a duffle bag, and a piece of coral.

They all stood in the beam, hands holding each other, smiling at the family who was waving. This was it, David thought. He had no idea what shape they would find the Time Lord in, or if he would be unhappy to have David and Elizabeth tagging along, but there would be no going back.

He felt that strange feeling he had gotten in the test runs of this, but this was going to be the biggest jump yet. He looked at Elizabeth, prayed this wouldn't be a mistake, and felt himself dissolve.

DW

Rose hit the ground with a thud, and let out a groan. She felt dizzy, and it took her a long moment before she could even open her eyes. Above her head was a sight she never thought she would see again. She could hear a familiar welcoming hum, and she tried to sit up.

They had made it, they were there. She stood as quickly as she could pull herself up. She spun around, she was in the console room, but she was alone.

Where was the Doctor? Where were Elizabeth and David? They had been right there with her.

She heard the TARDIS humming loudly, and decided to first search out the Doctor. If he was in trouble she needed to sort that first, and then if David and Elizabeth still hadn't shown up he could figure it out. It wasn't ideal, but she was only one person and she had no idea how that teleport had worked.

She searched all over, not finding either of the people she was seeking. Finally she came to her own bedroom, and she held her breath as she opened the door. She didn't know what she expected, perhaps for it to be empty now, but it wasn't. It was exactly as it was the day she was forced to leave him and the TARDIS.

There were still clothes lying around, thrown in her haste and disorientation of her younger days. She didn't think there was a thing that wasn't in the exact place it was that final day. Except for the fact that the Doctor was lying in the middle of her bed, tucked in on himself, and very still.

Rose rushed over, thinking that maybe they were too late. She reached out to him with trembling hands, checking first for a pulse. The Doctor groaned as she touched him, his skin was burning up, but he was alive.

He opened his eyes, blinking rapidly at her. His eyes were the same familiar brown, but they looked empty and glossy. What had he done to himself?

"Damn," the Doctor whispered.

That was a rare word for the Doctor. He rarely used curse words in English. She wondered if it was her that drew it from his lips, or the situation he was in.

"Doctor?" she asked, trying to get him to stretch out so she could find out what was wrong with him.

He wasn't fighting her, but he was far from cooperating either. He lay there, in a tight of a ball as he had the strength to pull himself into. His head was on her pillow, and she could see that it was wet, and she didn't know if it was from sweat of the tears that seemed to be flowing from his eyes.

"Don't do that," he instructed and she halted her hands. "Don't talk. It makes it harder when I wake up."

Rose felt tears brim in her eyes, but she fought them back. She had to be strong for him, which was what she always tried to be. Even when he was wearing leather she had tried to be his strong little ape.

"You're awake, Doctor," she told him, brushing sweaty hair away from his face. His eyes closed, but she thought he was just trying to linger in a feeling he thought was about to be stolen. "I'm really here."

He opened his eyes again, he was trembling, and she couldn't see any physical indication of what was ailing him.

"Rose," he whispered sadly. "I'm sorry, but I think this is the last time I am going to be able to see you. Even if it's not real."

It was clear his mind wasn't functioning properly.

"Doctor, what did you do? What's wrong?"

He shook his head, his breathing becoming labored. Rose was trying to figure out how she was going to get him to the med- bay all on her own. She longed for Elizabeth and David to show up, they were both geniuses they would know how to fix this.

She had come so far, but she was right now she was that shop girl who needed a hand to hold.

But she seemed to be all alone, and she feared she was about to lose everything. What if she couldn't save the Doctor? What if something had happened and she lost Elizabeth and David?

"Doctor, stay with me, come on," she demanded of him. "Let's go, we are going to the med-bay."

She struggled to get him into a sitting position, noting how light he really was. He couldn't have been eating, and where was Donna? What had happened since the last time she had seen this man, to make him this broken? Surely it couldn't have just been her.

He was pouring out sweat, shaking and she could feel his hearts bouncing erratically inside his chest. Whatever he had done, he was losing the fight. She wouldn't let this happen. She didn't care about the body; if he regenerated she would mourn the loss but move on. She cared about the man that made up the bodies, and that was who she had to save.

He reached up to her, placing a burning hand against her cheek. "My Rose," he said softly, his eye lashes fluttering in an attempt to stay conscious. "If there is anything on the other side, if I've been so wrong my whole life, then you will be there. "

He sounded so sure, but so uncertain.

"I'm here now," she reminded, pulling him into her arms. The best she could do was a half drag, but he didn't complain.

She kept talking to him, mindless chatter, and insistent demands. The med-bay was close, a mercy, and she heaved him up onto a table. It took a couple of tries, and it wasn't gentle, but he was there.

He was still again, and she turned around to grab a scanner when she heard him whisper her name. She spun around, and all around him a glow was beginning.

She bit her lip. She was too late. Too late.


	4. Chapter 4

David surfaced the water, seeking out Elizabeth. She was floating next to him, and he pulled her close. The jump hadn't been successful, at least for the two of them. They had bounced off the grating in the console room, knocking Elizabeth out, and then they disappeared only to reappear in one of the gardens. One second later they were in the pool.

He wasn't sure if the TARDIS was trying to shake him off, or if the teleport just had a hard time handling all three of them. They had jumped dimensions, and pulled themselves inside the TARDIS. He was fairly sure they had left Rose in the console room, so he hoped that she was worrying about the Doctor.

Right now his focus was on his wife; he pulled her to him, and then dragged her limp body out of the water. Her head was bleeding, quite a bit, but head wounds did tend to do that.

She was breathing easily though, and her heart was going strong, so that was something. Shaking the water off of his hair, he lifted her in to his arms, determined to get her to the med bay.

He had her in his arms, and he was standing when the first wave hit him. It was like being ran over by something large, and he stumbled but managed to keep upright. Oh it hurt, fire was rushing through him, and he had a bad feeling they had been too late to save the Time Lord.

He had been getting glimpses of emotion from him this whole time, but it seemed like being in the TARDIS was close enough to feel the agony of regeneration. His single heart beat quickly, and he fought to take each step.

He looked down at Elizabeth, reminding himself that he had to keep going. She needed him, and he needed her.

That was what mattered.

He came to the med bay doors quickly, and they opened to him. Inside he saw the Doctor on a bed, a slow glow forming around him. David was starting to sweat, the closer he got to the Time Lord the hotter the fire inside him became. Would he survive if the Doctor regenerated?

He was starting to doubt it. Maybe if they had stayed where they were, but he didn't think he could do it being this close. He stumbled past, ignoring Rose's voice asking if they were okay. She seemed to be relieved he was there, probably thinking he was going to make everything better.

How could he tell her that he just didn't know how?

He laid Elizabeth on another bed, and turned around.

"Help him," Rose begged.

"I don't think I can," David told her, tears rolling down his face. He couldn't be sure if they were tears because he was certain that these were his last moments as well.

"Try," she cried.

She was standing a safe distance from the Doctor, but David knew that she would jump into the inferno if it would save the Doctor.

He looked down at his wife. If he did nothing he was going to die, right here in this room. He might be able to stop it; he knew what the Doctor took.

David turned, kissed Elizabeth on her head. "If I don't fix this, if we don't make it, make sure she knows she was my everything."

Rose nodded, and he fought his way to the med storage unit. The glow was growing at a crawl, so unlike normal because the Doctor was the one who was causing it. Yes, he took aspirin, and yes he was having a reaction. But this was his choice, he was choosing to die.

Well, he wasn't going to chose for David.

David knew the man was hurting but he had gone through hell and high water to make this work. He spent every moment he should have spent making love to his wife building that teleport. He was spending his honeymoon being bounced around the TARDIS, and then coming to the brink of dying because the Doctor wanted to quit.

Well, too bad.

This pity party was over. He was going to fight the Doctor back from regeneration, and it might kill him, he wasn't sure. But Rose was here, and if he was going to die anyway it wasn't going to be without a fight. The Doctor may have forgotten that was how they were; even David had gotten that from him.

He grabbed the Time Lord equivalent of adrenaline, and walked over. He took a deep breath, knowing that once he stepped into the glow it was only going to hurt worse. He held the hypo tight, and broke through the light.

His eyes rolled back, but he reached the Doctor, giving him the shot, and then he dropped the hypo on the ground. He laid his hands on the Doctors head, fell into his mind.

"I don't think so, Doctor," he growled. "You aren't going anywhere."

DW

Rose moved back when the glow grew, and it seemed like the Doctor and David were fighting it out. He saw the Doctors body reanimate, and his arms come up to mirror David's hold on his head.

She looked down at Elizabeth, her hair stained pink by watery blood. Rose reached out and grabbed a clean towel, and pressed it to the gash just above Elizabeth's temple.

She kept her eyes on the struggle, unsure of what winning would look like, or who was doing it. They were locked in a stalemate, and it was eerie seeing them like this. David might be a different man, but you wouldn't know it to look at them now. It was like a mirror image.

Elizabeth groaned, and then she was moving, rolling onto her side, and vomiting over the side of the bed. Rose rubbed her back, until it stopped.

"David?" Elizabeth asked, trying to focus up at Rose.

"He's, um, busy," Rose struggled to keep her voice calm.

Elizabeth reached her hand up, covering Rose's and she took over putting pressure on the wound. She tried to sit up, ignoring Rose's suggestion that she just lay there.

Finally Rose gave up and helped her.

"'S bright," Elizabeth slurred.

She was looking at the glow, which Rose thought might be receding. She hoped, because from what she knew of regeneration it was agony, and both of them had to be feeling it.

"David?" Elizabeth asked again. "Need him."

"Okay, sweetheart," Rose agreed, letting Elizabeth lean against her.

She couldn't explain it to her; she doubted Elizabeth was in any state to hear it anyway.

Finally, like a rubber band, the glow snapped back into the Doctor. The Doctor stood up straight, holding the body David against his chest.

He looked at Rose, then at Elizabeth. He was shaking, and he said, "Rose, I think I killed him."


	5. Chapter 5

He hadn't been sure how much of it was real until this moment, holding his duplicate up. Rose was standing; a pretty girl with a head wound was on the bed next to her. He had thought it was all a dream, thought Rose was another figment of his imagination, but somehow she was back. He would have to ask, but he assumed by the presence of his duplicate that the universes were safe from collapse.

He shifted the other Doctor onto the table, and realized at once that he wasn't gone. He was breathing, his single heart still beating away. He let out a huge breath of relief. It should have killed him, stepping into that, but somehow it hadn't. He adjusted him on the bed, ensuring he would be comfortable, buying time until he could face Rose.

David just needed to sleep it off; it had just been a huge energy withdrawal. He heard vomiting behind him, and turned at once, to see Rose holding a bucket beneath the other young woman. He didn't know her, but she was watching the other him with the same look that Rose used on him.

Yes, there were many questions that needed asked. Just not yet.

He approached her and said, "Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"She's Elizabeth," Rose supplied. "David's wife. Help her, Doctor."

He glanced back at his duplicate, and wondered how long it had been for them. David, yes, the name suited him. And while he didn't know why David and Rose hadn't managed to make it work, he was glad in a way. Because she was back, and she was still looking at him with love in her eyes, so very real.

He reached out, and touched Elizabeth's head, examining her wound. It was quite a gash, but the blood was slowing. He cleaned the wound gently, glad for the opportunity to use his concentration on something like this. He then used one of the many tools in the med bay to close up the wound, and another to relieve her of the concussion she was suffering from.

There had been quite a bit of swelling, she must have had quite the blow, but she would be fine now. Her eyes were a little clearer, but she too needed sleep. She was looking at David, and the Doctor nodded.

"He's just asleep. You can go join him if you like."

Elizabeth was moving at once, walking the short distance. The bed was slightly enlarged, and she crawled up. David rolled into her arms automatically, and the Doctor saw them hold each other.

"Come on, Rose," he said quietly, "we need to talk."

He led her out of the med-bay, and down to the kitchen. Making her sit, he sat about making tea. Twenty minutes ago he thought he was going to die, he hoped he was going to die. And now this. Rose, of all the people in the universe, was sitting in his kitchen. She was back on the TARDIS, right where she belonged. He had tried his best to give her the kind of life he thought she deserved. The kind that came with a husband, and a family, and a life that never moved.

But now that she was back, he knew that he would never send her away again. He had tried to be honorable, and now all he wanted to be was happy.

He sat her tea before her, using her mug for the first time since she had left that first time. He let their fingers brush and it made his hearts race.

"You're an idiot," Rose said as he sat. "What were you thinking? You could have been gone, I thought you were gone, Doctor. And then you could have killed David, they've been married a day, Doctor. What were you thinking?"

Her tone was hard, almost unforgiving, but he knew her too well. She had been scared and now she was lashing out. He knew how stupid he had been, how close he had come.

"I was thinking I had nothing left to live for," he said honestly. "I know it was wrong, and I am sorry. Please forgive me, Rose."

She sighed, pushing blonde hair away from her face. She didn't look much older than the last time she had graced the TARDIS, but he could see weariness in her eyes. His Rose, always fighting to get back to him.

"I'll always forgive you, Doctor," she said. "You know that, but I think when David and Elizabeth wake you should apologize to them to. They spent their first night as husband and wife getting us back here."

"I will," the Doctor promised. "How did you get back here?"

"David called it a Dimensional Teleport. It's only been a year Doctor, but so much has happened."

He reached across the table, taking her hand into his. "Will you tell me?"

So she did, about their need for space, and how David and Elizabeth had been kidnapped. About the time they had in that absence, and how when they came back they both knew it wasn't going to work. The Doctor was happy it hadn't been a bitter thing for them, they were obviously still close.

She told him everything, and he held her hand the whole time. He was going to have to get information about the Teleport from David, but he felt reassured it was safe. And he was interested to have a proper conversation with Elizabeth. Rose had dubbed her a genius.

She seemed worried he would have been upset they came too, but he wasn't. He had Rose back, and he was so happy. He hadn't sent David away as a punishment, not like he made it sound. He had done it because he thought it was their chance to have what he couldn't.

"Don't ever think about sending me away again, Doctor," Rose said.

"I won't," he vowed.

"Did you ever think that maybe, even if we are humans, we know what is best for us? You don't always get to decide."

He looked down and said, "I'm very sorry."

Rose squeezed his hand and said, "I love you, stupid."

He grinned. "And I love you."

He'd never said it, all those times he should have. Well, he was starting anew. He was going to find a way to get it right this time. He owed David and Elizabeth everything, because everything was sitting across the table from him.

He leaned across the table, giving her time to lean away if she wasn't ready. When she didn't he let his lips touch hers, and knew there was no letting her go ever again.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Just a real short chapter to finish it up.**

The Doctor liked Elizabeth, liked the man David had become. David was so different from him, but so much the same as well. He was a good man, who hadn't been held back by the Doctors legacy of doubt.

Once David had woken, and everything that had brought them back here was discussed it was decided that for now all three of them would stay. If they decided to part ways with each other at some point then he could help them dramatically speed up the growth of their own TARDIS.

Rose had no intention of going anywhere, and he had no intention of letting her. Now that she was back, he knew that he would do anything to keep her around. He already was making plans for their future, and he was feeling better than he had in so long.

David and Elizabeth were settling in, David lighting up at the chance to show Elizabeth the TARDIS. The Doctor hadn't realized how hard it must have been on him to suddenly be stranded on Earth. And he had been the reason, but now he wouldn't keep him from the stars that he would always love.

Rose lay in his arms and he kissed her head. She made a soft humming noise, but stayed asleep. He smiled to himself. He had fought himself at every turn when it came to Rose, but his Rose had fought back. She had come back to save him once again, and she had.

She would always be his Rose, always be the reason the last of the Time Lords knew how to love again.


End file.
